


A Place For Us

by FantasyPrincess



Series: Angels and Demons: How do they work? [3]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Books, Gifts, I wrote this a little too fast, M/M, No Betas We Fall Like Crowley, Stop it Angel, oh well, soft Crowley
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:54:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25573921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FantasyPrincess/pseuds/FantasyPrincess
Summary: Aziraphale is having a bad day and Crowley wants to do  something special to cheer him up.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Angels and Demons: How do they work? [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1512857
Kudos: 32





	A Place For Us

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a plot bunny from the FB group Ineffable Husbands which involved a picture of the "Nettlestone Library Nested Table and Chair Set with Storage"

"Well, that's that!" Aziraphale said, smiling over his tart.

"Yes, I suppose it is..." Crowley drank deeply from his champagne, gazing off into the middle distance.

"Something eating at you, my dear?"

"No, well, yes, well..." Crowley put the flute down, just as Aziraphale brought another tasty morsel to his lips. "It's just that, we did it. We're, well, we're _done_ , aren't we?"

"Oh!" Aziraphale made an excited noise as he wiped his mouth. "I suppose we are! Does this mean we can... retire?"

"I think it's safe to say we've already put in our notice." Crowley smiled wickedly. "I can't imagine Heaven or Hell coming to ask us to return any time soon, can you?"

"Certainly not," Aziraphale nodded. "Well, I suppose there's really only one thing to be done. How do you feel about officially creating our side?"

Crowley coughed like something had gotten stuck in his throat, even though he wasn't eating anything. "What... did you have in mind, Angel?"

"Why, moving in together. What were you thinking?" Aziraphale blinked, the very picture of innocence.

"Of course, moving in together." Crowley said, smiling perhaps a little too wide. "Couldn't have suggested anything more perfect." 

\--

Many conversations of similar nature followed in the month since the apocalypse was thwarted.

The first thing they tried was rooming together at one of their respective apartments. But they soon realized the problem. Deep down, both of them were two very different beings. Aziraphale thought Crowley's apartment was too sterile and cold, while Crowley thought Aziraphale's little apartment above his book shop was too stuffy and "it doesn't even have a bed, Angel!"

So, they decided to buy a place. Money would be no object. Literally every single place they saw was on the table. It would be another week before they found the perfect little cottage. The sea breeze was lovely, and it was just far enough away from town to make it worth their while. Enough human contact should they desire it, but ultimately, if two eternal celestial beings wanted their privacy, they could have it in abundance. After all, they had the rest of eternity to relax into retirement as they put it. Nothing to bother them. 

Their new cottage had two floors. Enough space for Crowley to spread out and allow Aziraphale a study that the demon promised he would leave completely alone. There was also a wine cellar with an adjacent office, which Aziraphale promised to never venture into and allow Crowley free reign. The kitchen they both enjoyed immensely, as it was large enough to cook and eat in. Crowley even had a proper garden for his precious plants.

The Angel and Demon made their plans carefully and methodically and moved in together shortly after closing on the place. Though it was not the Eden they hoped it would be, it was close. They were still figuring out a few important details, like how best to access Aziraphale's rather large collection at the book shop without constantly venturing into London all of the time, when they saw a new family move in to the plot next door.

Aziraphale couldn't control his dark mood at having people so close.

"They're a full half kilometre away!" Crowley bristled. "They're barely in the same county as we are!"

"It's still too close!" Aziraphale's eyes narrowed as he could see their moving trucks and hear them chatting in their own garden. 

"People are in your precious book shop on occasion you allow them in, Angel. What makes this so different? There are people who literally live across the street from you in SoHo much closer."

"It's... It's just different..." Aziraphale seemed to be getting quite agitated, but dropped it. 

It was less one thing in particular that bothered the Angel, and more like a series of strange hypotheticals he tortured himself with.

"I am not torturing myself," Aziraphale defended, over breakfast one morning after the new people had finished moving in. "It's just that we're still moving in ourselves and I don't need to feel encroached upon when we don't even know where my book collection will go yet!"

"We're figuring that out; it hasn't been that long. And you _are_ torturing yourself. I'm a demon, Angel, I know a thing or two about torture. You're torturing yourself better than anything I could ever cook up for you, and that's saying something."

Aziraphale made a huffy noise and took one last look at the people having a rather loud brunch over the hedge and went back to his quiche.

It would be two more days before Aziraphale huffed again and looked in their direction. "What if they want to borrow something?"

"Like what?"

"Sugar. A cup of flour."

"Get that from all those mysteries you've been reading lately?" Crowley said, smirking and opening a bottle of wine to breathe. "They're closer to town then they are to us. In any event, we always have that on hand. I don't see the problem with -"

"What if they're _lacing the joint_ and just waiting for us to let our guard down!"

"That's casing the joint, Angel." Crowley raised his eyebrows and followed Aziraphale's eye line to the small children playing in the garden and the adults chatting, turning up their music on the outdoor sound system. "I don't think they're the type."

"Crowley!"

Exasperated, Crowley let out a groan. "If they come anywhere near us, then we will simply be rude to them. They'll never come near us again if we tell them to sod off!" he grumbled.

"We can't possibly be _impolite_!" Aziraphale sputtered, but his face betrayed the agreement in his voice that that was exactly what they'd be doing if the neighbors came too close.

Crowley did his best to sooth things by coming close to Aziraphale and putting a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Angel. They're staying on their side."

"As well they should! This is our side, after all. No one else allowed!" Aziraphale was unfortunately not calming down, but getting more and more upset. "But this is the country, Crowley, people talk, they _gab_. What if one of them sees us doing our little miracles around the house? I'd just gotten used to the idea that I don't have to worry about us. That we can be ourselves. But you know people talk. People are nosy." Aziraphale said, still staring in their direction.

"People, Angel?"

Aziraphale nodded until he saw the teasing look on Crowley's face. "I'll be in my study."

Crowley sighed, yelling after Aziraphale, "I didn't mean it, Angel, come back!" But Aziraphale was already gone. "What's gotten into him...?" Crowley grabbed some sheers off the wall and went out to the garden, sitting for a bit in the sunlight and watching those strangers for a bit longer. He wanted Aziraphale to be happy but he wasn't. There had to be something he could do to prove they were on the same. The side they'd always been on. They were everything each other had now. Had always been this way. He thought and thought and thought.

\--

The day the package came, Crowley signed for it and grimaced at the delivery man's too bright attitude. He'd likely find a flat tire on his way back to the station and Crowley finally grinned to himself as he hoisted the package into the home.

Aziraphale looked up from his pastry and tea, "What's that?"

"Never you mind. Keep eating your breakfast and give me a moment." Crowley brought it down into the wine cellar where he knew Aziraphale wouldn't disturb him and went to work. The piece was exactly as he'd hoped it'd be. Perfect for the two of them, but especially for Aziraphale. "Yes, this should do nicely."

The following day, Crowley gently knocked on Aziraphale's study door. "Can I come in?"

Aziraphale gave a non-committal grunt and Crowley walked into the space a bit sheepish, his head downcast. "Sorry to bother you, Angel, but I have a surprise for you. Might I show you?"

Aziraphale finished the paragraph he was reading at this desk and turned to face him, still in a mood. "I suppose. What is it?"

Crowley smiled, "Well don't act all happy just on my account."

"Crowley, I've not time for this. You need to drive me all the way back into SoHo to pick up another several volumes of this text," and he laid a hand on the book he'd just closed, removing his glassed with his other hand. "And, if we're late, we'll hit traffic on the way back then you'll be in an even more foul mood than I."

Crowley smirked and nodded. "Then I'll be breif. Will you stand for me?"

"Crowley, what -"

"Just stand, Angel. I promise, it's worth it."

As Aziraphale stood up, Crowley snapped his fingers. In front of Aziraphale was suddenly an isle of books and a lovely dark finish on them. It looked to him like a circular book stand and though Aziraphale smiled, it didn't reach his eyes. "What is that?"

"That's how you're going to keep your books here!" Crowley was grinning ear to ear.

Aziraphale stared blankly at Crowley. "Darling, you've seen my collection haven't you?"

Crowley laughed. "I certainly have!" Crowley went next to Aziraphale and touched the spines. 

"Are those even _real books_?" Aziraphale was looking pale. "How is this supposed to help me!?"

Crowley shook his head, "No, Angel, don't you see, it's better than that, watch!" Crowley moved one side and Aziraphale realized the whole piece came apart into a two seated nested table and chairs and, despite himself, was quite charmed. Then, the snake that he was, Crowley wound himself, turning to tap on the books and was suddenly sitting there having pulled a book from thin air and into his hand. "This is how you're going to have access to your collection, Angel! You can pull as many as you'd like and always use these books to return them. I've divided them up by genre, but you can do whatever you'd like!"

Aziraphale was quiet for so long, Crowley wondered if he'd gotten his Angel completely wrong. Then Aziraphale let out a happy little laugh and was sitting in the opposite seat to try it himself. "Oh, I say, Crowley, you've outdone yourself!"

Crowley made a little sound in the back of his throat and smiled at his Angel. "Can I interest you in a spot of wine while you get acquainted with your new 'library?'"

Aziraphale nodded, already immersed in his latest book that he pulled out of thin air. 

As Crowley made his way down into the kitchen to retreive the wine which had been chilling in the fridge, the doorbell rang. To his surprise, Aziraphale was suddenly there answering it and, after some muffled conversation, appeared in the kitchen, a smile on his face, reaching for the flour. "New neighbors want to borrow a cup of flour. Told you. Anyway, we have more than enough to share," he said, smiling, and returning to the door.

Crowley smiled into his shoulder as he opened the wine and grabbed two glasses.


End file.
